These Low Calorie Rice Bowls for Weight Loss are hearty and filling, and they make a wonderful meal prep lunch or dinner!
This healthy rice bowl recipe is just 438 calories for over 3 cups (that’s a lot!) and the recipe comes with 4 optional protein add-ins too.
It’s easy to make these rice bowl recipes vegan… simply skip the cheese, go heavy on the yummy hearty veggies. And make the super yummy vegan rice bowl sauce recipe.
You can make these white or brown rice bowl recipes in just 30 minutes, from start to finish. Including prep time!
These Healthy Vegan Rice Bowls are just 438 calories… for 3 HUGE cups!
Low Calorie Rice Bowls for Weight Loss
What You’ll Find in this Article:
Ingredients for Healthy Rice Bowls
These healthy brown rice bowls are easy and versatile.
You can try these fun swaps for endless combinations of healthy vegan rice bowls at home… This will supply you with 10 more simple recipes, or countless options for homemade rice bowl vegetarian and vegan recipes.
10 Swaps for More Vegan Rice Bowl Options:
- White Rice in place of Brown Rice
- Cauliflower Rice in place of Rice
- Quinoa in place of Rice
- Acorn Squash in place of Butternut Squash
- Brussels sprouts in place of Butternut Squash
- Pumpkin in place of Butternut Squash
- Sweet Potato in place of Carrots
- Parsnips in place of Carrots
- Almonds in place of Hemp Seeds
- Pecans in place of Hemp Seeds
Shopping List for Healthy Rice Bowls:
Rice Bowl Dressing:
- Orange
- Apple cider vinegar
- Dijon mustard
- Maple syrup
- Garlic
- Salt and pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
Rice Bowl Ingredients:
- Butternut squash
- Carrots
- Olive oil spray
- Salt and pepper
- Brown or white rice
- Kale cleaned
- 1/2 avocado sliced
- Whole hemp seeds or hemp hearts (optional)
BOOST THE PROTEIN: See the 4 yummy protein boosts you can add to these healthy rice bowls in the recipe card below!
How to Make Healthy Rice Bowls
This vegan rice bowl recipe is great for quick dinners (it’s a 30 minute meal!) and for meal prepping too!
Check out these meal prepping tips to make the most out of your homemade rice bowls…
Meal Prep Tips for Homemade Rice Bowls:
- Use the ingredient multiplier in the recipe card below to double or triple the recipe (click 2x or 3x)
- Lay your meal prep containers out in a line. And then divide the ingredients into each container, as directed below.
- Don’t add the dressing though… add it to a small container, and pour it on when you’re ready to eat.
- Get creative and change it up a little every day… You can roast the butternut squash, carrots, plus Brussels sprouts and sweet potato. Then make different combinations for each day (see above for 10 different ingredient swaps).
How to Make Easy Rice Bowl Recipes:
Make the Rice Bowl Dressing:
- Add the orange juice, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic clove, salt and pepper to a medium bowl. Whisk together until the maple syrup and mustard are dissolved.
- While whisking, slowly pour the olive oil to the bowl.
- Taste, add more salt or pepper as needed.
Make the Rice and Veggie Bowls:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the butternut squash and carrots to the prepared baking sheet. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until fork tender.
- Meanwhile, in a small pot, or rice cooker, add rice and water.
- Bring to a boil on high heat. Lower heat to low, cover and cook until the water soaks into the rice, about 30 minutes. (Or follow rice cooker directions).
- Remove the pot from the heat and fluff with a fork.
- To serve, divide the rice between 2 bowls, top with kale, cooked butternut and carrots and dressing.
- Lightly toss to distribute the dressing, then top the vegan bowls with avocado, hemp seeds, and your optional protein add-ins.
- Serve hot, or store in the fridge as meal prep lunches or dinners.
Low Calorie Rice Bowls for Weight Loss Recipe
These low calorie rice bowls are super filling, and come with very large portions! They will fill you up and keep you full for hours.
Try these plant based rice bowls for lunch or dinner… or make for dinner (plus extras) and use the meal prepping tips above to turn them into vegan meal prep bowls for lunch all week long.
More Low Calorie Weight Loss Recipes:
Low Calorie Rice Bowls for Weight Loss
Ingredients
Rice Bowl Dressing:
- Juice of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Rice Bowl Ingredients:
- 2 cups cubed butternut squash
- 4 carrots peeled and sliced
- Olive oil spray
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup brown or white rice
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups kale cleaned and sliced
- 1/2 avocado sliced
- 2 tablespoons whole hemp seeds or hemp hearts (optional)
Optional Protein Add-Ins:
- 1 cup Cooked and Shredded Chicken
- 1 cup Maple Ginger Baked Tofu
- 1 cup Honey Sriracha Baked Crispy Tofu
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
Make the Rice Bowl Dressing:
- Add the orange juice, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic clove, salt and pepper to a medium bowl. Whisk together until the maple syrup and mustard are dissolved.
- While whisking, slowly pour the olive oil to the bowl.
- Taste, add more salt or pepper as needed.
Make the Rice and Veggie Bowls:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add the butternut squash and carrots to the prepared baking sheet. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes until fork tender.
- Meanwhile, in a small pot, or rice cooker, add rice and water.
- Bring to a boil on high heat. Lower heat to low, cover and cook until the water soaks into the rice, about 30 minutes. (Or follow rice cooker directions)
- Remove the pot from the heat and fluff with a fork.
- To serve, divide the rice between 2 bowls, top with kale, cooked butternut and carrots and dressing.
- Lightly toss to distribute the dressing, then top the vegan bowls with avocado, hemp seeds, and any additional protein add-ins.
- Serve hot, or store in the fridge as meal prep lunches or dinners.
Nutrition
Nutrition and Calories in Vegan Rice Bowls
What to Read Next:
Lose Weight By Eating Cookbooks
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Article History:
- Originally written and published December 11, 2021 by Audrey Johns
- Updated on April 19, 2023 by Audrey Johns
